Ten: How Would You Rate Your LIfe?

TEN: How Would You Rate Your Life?

By
Terry Smith

MY THOUGHTS:
To be published later -- I'm not quite finished with the book. I will say that this is not really a self help book -- it is an adventure in discovering the life God really wants you to live and going out to grab hold of that life to make it happen! The book has a lot of great lessons about leadership that are so good and so timely, even the leadership 'gurus' like Ken Blanchard and Jack Welch have recommended it.

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Many of us dream of living a richer and more significant life—the kind of fulfilling life that, when rated on the scale of one to ten, would score a definitive ten. Inviting us to discover the TEN Life is the theme of TEN: How Would You Rate Your Life? by Terry A. Smith. Smith has a passion for challenging and encouraging others, especially those who are completely unaware of their own unique power and potential.

TEN is about grasping God’s dream for our lives and then taking the necessary action to make that dream come true. Within the pages of TEN, Smith offers sound advice and gives the reader seven inspired steps specifically designed to lead to a better life: awaken, discover, imagine, grow, act, lead and go.

Through application of these seven steps, Smith reveals how each of us can experience life in all its fullness, moving forward from wherever we are toward a TEN. In this way, we can create the best possible future for ourselves and those around us. We can achieve total fulfillment. We can take our lives all the way up the scale to TEN. All we need is the desire to do so.

“If you are looking for significance in your life, you must read TEN. Terry Smith will show you how God works with you and through you to open up possibilities you never knew existed. This book is full of hope.” ~ Ken Blanchard, Co-author of The One Minute Manager and Lead Like Jesus

View a preview video of the book and more at www.livingten.com.

An interview with Terry A. Smith,

Author of TEN: How Would You Rate Your Life?

Q. What makes TEN different from all the other self-help books already out there?

One of my primary goals in writing the book was to connect the incredible power of creating a better life to the exponential power of leadership. Regardless of who we are or what our natural inclinations or talents might be, when we strive for a better life, we must lead others with us down the path to the best possible reality. Life is not only about us. It never has been. That’s why the book focuses on “others-help” rather than “self-help.”

Q. Not being satisfied with what we have is often cited as the root cause of many of today’s woes. Yet in TEN, you write that you believe the problem is that we don’t want enough. Could you elaborate?

I couldn’t agree less with the idea that most of our problems result from wanting too much. I think we should want more. Not more stuff, but more life. Jesus said that His purpose was to give us “life—life in all its fullness.” Why would He have made such a statement if we’re not supposed to want it? I believe a more fulfilling life—a life in all its fullness—is the future that God dreams for us. I also believe we have the ability to tap into this dream and create that more and better life for ourselves and others.

Q. In the book, you outline a seven-step plan to creating a TEN Life. What are those seven steps?

1. Awaken: Wake up to God’s dreams for your life.
2. Discover: Learn how to discover your life’s calling.
3. Imagine: Learn how the discipline of imagination makes the future real.
4. Grow: Develop the life infrastructure necessary to sustain success.
5. Act: Take action to create your future.
6. Lead:Learn to lead yourself and others to the best possible future.
7. Go: Accept the call to get started living the life God dreams for you.

Q. Of all the steps, the one requiring us to grow seems the most difficult. Why is personal growth so important?

The greater our God-inspired ambitions, the greater our need to develop the secure foundation necessary to sustain them. We must become bigger people if we desire to live a bigger life. We must be willing to expand as human beings in order to become the persons that God sees us capable of becoming. And the more ambitious we are, the more we must be willing to fully develop ourselves in every aspect of our lives.

Q. A large portion of your book is dedicated to developing leadership skills. Why is being a leader so important?

Who wants to enter a preferred future alone? If we are to live the best possible life, then we must be obligated to more than just ourselves. We must be obligated to the countless people we have direct or indirect, immediate or future influence over. Leadership is about accepting responsibility for others. A moral future—a God-inspired future—is an inclusive one.

Q. But what about those people who don’t see themselves as leaders?

I believe everyone is a leader in some capacity. If you are a mother, then you are a leader. If you are a teacher, you are a leader. If you are gifted in the arts, you are a leader. Excellent athletes are leaders. Managers, politicians, pastors and CEOs are all obviously leaders. While most people may not be born with natural leadership skills, it is a skill that can be learned and developed. It can be studied. For our own survival and the survival and success of those around us, it is imperative that we learn effective leadership skills. Trust me, you can learn to lead if you have to, and I think you have to.

Ruby Dawn

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Ruby Dawn White Rose Publishing (January 27, 2012) by Raquel Byrnes
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Raquel married her college sweetheart seventeen years ago and you can still find them spending time together chatting over a cup of coffee like when they were first dating.

Her husband is her biggest fan and most ardent supporter. He encourages her to take time for writing as often as he can. He regularly gives her gift cards to her favorite coffee house so that she can go there to write and relax.

He has been known to whip up his famous chicken quesadillas complete with guacamole and brownies for dessert.

Raquel has written books for more than a decade. She loves to do research and has taken private detective courses, gun classes, and underground tours to get every detail right for her novels. She writes romantic suspense with an edge-of-your-seat pace. Stories filled with faith, love, and adventure.

In 2009 she signed with agent, Terry Burns, at Hartline Literary. Terry worked to get her Shades of Hope series sold and in 2010, White Rose Publishing purchased the three-book series.

ABOUT THE BOOK

A painful past. A love returns A desperate plan.

Former street kid, Ruby now reaches out to runaways through her medical clinic in the worst part of the city, but her escalating battle with a gang leader puts that in jeopardy.

Cavalier, a risk-taker, charming… Ruby’s first love is now on the right side of the law and the center of a dangerous DEA sting involving her clinic. Tom’s disappearance ten years ago broke her heart and rattled her faith. As their romance relights, memories of what it costs to love him flood her with fear.

Ruby’s battle with the gang ignites a firestorm of danger, and a pattern of lies from within her own camp emerges. With Tom’s life in the balance and her world cast in shadows, can Ruby trust God as she once did…or has she strayed too far, for too long to ever return?

Watch the book video:





If you would like to read the first chapter of Ruby Dawn, go HERE.

Embraced by God and a Giveaway!

EMBRACED BY GOD
BY
BABBIE MASON

MY THOUGHTS:
I struggled with what to call this book. It's not a devotional by any means, and it isn't a reading program. Babbie does the best job of naming it -- it truly is a journey. For 21 days she provides an incredibly insightful path that leads the reader straight into the loving arms of God. He's been waiting patiently all this time, right there, providing his unconditional love, but we haven't been trusting enough to comprehend and receive it.

After reading this book daily (or even skipping a few days), you will have a whole new sense of God's presence and his presents! Babbie writes in an incredibly comfortable manner that feels like a conversation over coffee. She is open about the tough times in her life and how God's love brought her through to triumph as a demonstration of how his love works in each one of us. This book is one that I will read over and over, and there are passages that I will never forget!

ABOUT THE BOOK

Have you ever wondered, "Does God really love me? Do I really matter to him?"

HE LOVES YOU.

As a matter of fact, God loves you just as much as he loves His own Son.

In the pages of this heartwarming, thoughtful and life-affirming 21-day journey, award-winning gospel singer, songwriter, and teacher Babbie Mason reminds you, when you know you are loved by God and that you are in His eternal plan, you’ll never again wonder if your life matters.

Click for more information: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs019/1101807863309/archive/1109062257179.html

About Babbie Mason:

Babbie Mason is a Dove Award-winning and Grammy nominated gospel singer, songwriter, author, creator of the Embrace: A Worship Event for Women ministry, professor of songwriting at Atlanta Christian College and Lee University, and a television talk-show host. She was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame in 2010 and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs. Babbie has been honored perform for Presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H. W. Bush, George W. Bush, Lady Margaret Thatcher, Colin Powell, Steve Forbes among many others. Babbie performs a holiday special at Carnegie Hall every year. Babbie lives near Atlanta on a farm with her husband Charles.

Link to buy the book: http://www.abingdonpress.com/forms/DynamicContent.aspx?id=141&pageid=677

Embraced by God is a 21-day encounter that shares the unconditional love of God. "If you watch what the media says as to where we should find our identity--" says Babbie, "--money, beauty, power and technology--you'll just be confused about who you are and what your purpose is. As a culture we are trying to buy or sell what can only be administered to the soul by Jesus."

Celebrate with Babbie by entering her Nook Tablet Giveaway and coming to her "Embraced Facebook Party {3/6}!

One beloved winner will receive:

• A Brand new Nook Tablet with Wi-Fi


• Embraced by God by Babbie Mason


• Babbie's Embraced by God Music CD


• Babbie's Embraced by God Note cards

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends 3/5/12. Winner will be announced at Babbie's "Embraced" Facebook Party on 3/6. Babbie will be hosting an evening of chat, music, laughter, and encouragement - bring your friends! She'll also be giving away some GREAT prizes: gift certificates, books, Embraced by God music CDs and Note cards, and a book club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club.)

So grab your copy of Embraced by God and join Babbie and friends on the evening of March 6th for an evening of fun.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on March 6th!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity for providing a copy of this book for review.

Into the Free

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Into the Free David C. Cook (February 1, 2012) by Julie Cantrell



MY THOUGHTS:
Julie Cantrell has a masterful way with words. She has created a fabulous and tragic story that pulls the reader immediately inside a world most of us never see. She provides a unique perspective, linking together three worlds --gypsies, rodeos, and extreme poverty -- in the eyes of a young girl who is trying to find a place for herself in the world.

I am fascinated by the way Julie crafts her words, and often stopped to reread a sentence because I loved the way it rolled around in my head. This was not a distraction from the story -- it added to the melody and flow. Into the Free was a difficult book to put down.

I look forward to reading more of Julie Cantrell's books!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A speech-language pathologist and literacy advocate, Julie Cantrell was the editor-in-chief of the Southern Literary Review and currently teaches English as a second language to elementary students. She has been a freelance writer for ten years and has published two children’s books. Julie and her family live in Mississippi where they operate Valley House Farm.

Julie served as contributing editor to MOMSense magazine and wrote content for Mothers of Preschoolers, Intl. for nearly a decade. Additionally, she has contributed to more than a dozen books. Into The Free is her first book.

ABOUT THE BOOK

Just a girl. The only one strong enough to break the cycle.

In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.

For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.

Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?

Watch the book video:





If you would like to read the first chapter of Into the Free, go HERE.

Chasing Mona Lisa and a Contest!

Chasing Mona Lisa
by
Tricia Goyer
and
Mike Yorkey

MY THOUGHTS:
This book is an action-packed thrill ride across France! I loved every minute of it. I can always count on Tricia Goyer's historical novels to be fascinating, historically correct, and inspiring. Add in the fast-paced adventure of Mike Yorkey and you've got another winner. This book is a follow on to the Swiss Courier, but you definitely don't have to read that book to know what is happening in this one (but read that one -- it's a fabulous book, too).

Like Swiss Courier, I'd love to see this book made into a movie.

Read what others are saying about the book -- here's the schedule of posts
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13449999

ABOUT THE BOOK:
It is August 1944 and Paris is on the cusp of liberation. As the soldiers of the Third Reich flee the Allied advance, they ravage the country, stealing countless pieces of art. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring will stop at nothing to claim the most valuable one of all, the Mona Lisa, as a post-war bargaining chip to get him to South America. Can Swiss OSS agents Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler rescue DaVinci's masterpiece before it falls into German hands?

With nonstop action, Chasing Mona Lisa is sure to get readers' adrenaline pumping as they join the chase to save the most famous painting in the world. From war-ravaged Paris to a posh country chateau, the race is on--and the runners are playing for keeps.

Read an excerpt, watch a video and find out more here. http://www.triciagoyer.com/historicalfiction.html#ChasingMonaLisa

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:

Tricia Goyer is the coauthor of The Swiss Courier as well as the author of many other books, including Night Song and Dawn of a Thousand Nights, both past winners of the ACFW's Book of the Year Award for Long Historical Romance. Goyer lives with her family in Arkansas. For more about Tricia and her other books visit www.triciagoyer.com




Mike Yorkey is the author or coauthor of dozens of books, including The Swiss Courier and the bestselling Every Man's Battle series. Married to a Swiss native, Yorkey lived in Switzerland for 18 months. He and his family currently reside in California. For more about Mike and his other books visit www.mikeyorkey.com





Win an iTouch SPY Pack in the Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway from @triciagoyer @mikeyorkey!

Chasing Mona Lisa is the continuing tale of Gabi Mueller and Eric Hofstadler (first introduced in The Swiss Courier). This time the due are on a relentless quest to save the most famous painting in the world - the Mona Lisa. You can help Gabi and Eric with your very own spy pack when you enter The Chasing Mona Lisa Giveaway!

One passionate protector will receive:

• iTouch (The must-have device for any spy. Camera, Maps & Music.)


• Starbucks Gift Card (For all those late nights.)


• Moleskin Notebook (For those important notes.)


• Invisible Ink Pen (Don’t want anyone reading those important notes.)


• Chasing Mona Lisa by Tricia Goyer & Mike Yorkey (Great handbook and intriguing tale for any spy-in-training!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends at noon on January 31st. The winner will be announced at the Chasing Mona Lisa Facebook Party on 1/31. Tricia and Mike will be hosting an author chat (on Facebook and Live from Tricia's website) and giving away their books and a Book Club prize pack! (Ten copies of the book for your small group or book club AND a LIVE Author Chat for your group with Tricia and Mike.)



So grab your copy of Chasing Mona Lisa and join Tricia and Mike on the evening of the 31st for an author chat, spy training (do you know how to pick a lock?) and lots of giveaways.

Don't miss a moment of the fun. RSVP today and tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 31st!

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing a book for this review.

The Shadow of Your Smile -- And a Giveaway!

The Shadow of Your Smile
by
Susan May Warren

MY THOUGHTS:
Susan May Warren has done it again! She has written yet another book that tears at your heart while providing hope in God's ultimate grace. The Shadow of Your Smile is the latest in her Deep Haven series, but it stands alone -- you don't have to read the rest of the series to understand the story.

Imagine waking up from an accident and believing you are a college student once again -- even though you graduated 25 years ago! That is exactly what happens to Noelle in the midst of a crisis in her marriage and her life. Not only does she not recognize the man who calls himself her husband or the family he says she has raised, she doesn't want to acknowledge the person she has become.

This is a story of forgiveness, redemption, and learning to find the true person God created. I love the questions it leaves the reader asking long after the final page is read!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

A beautiful blanket of snow may cover the quaint town of Deep Haven each winter, but it can’t quite hide the wreckage of Noelle and Eli Hueston’s marriage.

After twenty-five years, they’re contemplating divorce . . . just as soon as their youngest son graduates from high school. But then an accident erases part of Noelle's memory. Though her other injuries are minor, she doesn’t remember Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. What’s more, Noelle is shocked that her life has turned out nothing like she dreamed it would. As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-hilarious, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember?

Will their secrets destroy them . . . or has erasing the past given them a chance for a future?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of thirty novels with Tyndale, Barbour, Steeple Hill and Summerside Press. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Carol Award.

A seasoned women’s events speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. You can find her online at: www.susanmaywarren.com.

Sometimes love requires a little forgetting ... Come back to Deep Haven and find out what's been happening in your favorite quaint hamlet. If you're new to the Deep Haven series - this is the perfect book to start with - each book in the series is a stand alone story.

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!

Susan is celebrating the release of The Shadow of Your Smile by giving away a prize pack worth over $200 from 1/9-1/28.

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Gift Card (Use that to rekindle a little romance, treat yourself to a spa day, snap up those shoes you’ve been eyeing, or purchase a few great books!)

• The entire set of Deep Haven Books

The winner will be announced on 1/30/12 on Susan’s blog,www.susanmaywarren.com/scribbles-blog

Thank you to Litfuse Publicity Group for providing an electronic book for this review.

Inspired Design

Inspired Design
By
Roxanne Hughes Packham
and
Hannah Packham

MY THOUGHTS:
This is an amazingly beautiful book! The photographer, Mark Lohman, has done a fabulous job of taking photos that make me want to reach out and touch the beautiful tablescapes and room details the Packhams have designed!

The book is full of simple and elegant design ideas, but is in no way stuffy. It is created to help the reader create a hope that is welcoming and inviting to both the family and the guests who visit. In the author's note at the beginning of the book, Roxanne Packham promises "to inspire you to create a home that touches the soul of those within, as well as all who walk through its doors; to share ideas that create beauty, warmth and passion, as I have with hundreds of clients; and to speak from my heart what my family heritage and love of design has taught me."

Page by page, the authors describe and demonstrate the basic design concepts of both masters of the craft and members of their own family, linking heritage indelibly with design. In addition, they add in advice on how to make special occasions memorable for all in attendance -- both from the perspective of a beautiful setting and by proper event planning and hospitality in the 'little things' that makes a huge difference. In all aspects, the event is designed to make all attendees feel special. I especially liked the idea of the Blessing Tea.

This is a fabulous book with wonderful ideas that are simple to implement on every single page! A perfect wedding shower or house warming gift.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
Drawing from a rich family history and her own collection of acclaimed designs, California-based interior designer Roxanne Packham has joined with her teenage daughter Hannah to create Inspired Design (Inspired Design Publications, 2010), an idea-provoking book filled with stunning photographs, treasured family traditions and a plethora of truly inspirational tips for creating a warm and welcoming home, not just throughout the holiday season, but every day to follow.

Whether seeking unique ways to entertain for the upcoming holidays, celebrate with friends, begin new family traditions or showcase the family history, talents and passions in the home’s interior design, the Packhams have shown the way. In doing so, they have utilized the beautifully structured pages of Inspired Design to reveal the classic truth that any home is made more beautiful when it is filled with love, joy and the determination to make those who enter it feel welcomed.

Decorating for the holidays can be a daunting task, whether it is in preparation for family or for a spouse’s office party. Roxanne offers simple ideas for making your home welcoming and comfortable for guests. Hannah is able to offer, from a teen’s perspective, ways of getting the entire family involved in holiday preparations while teaching your children the art of hospitality. With today’s busy, high-tech lifestyle, these are important lessons we often overlook.

With a desire to celebrate the beauty of home and family, the mother-daughter duo has skillfully melded their own store of family memories and candid observations with photos of impeccably designed interiors to remind the reader of the home’s power and ability to change lives. Their purpose in writing Inspired Design is straightforward: “To inspire you to create a home that touches the soul of those within, as well as all who walk through the doors.”

Borne on the wings of their earnest prayers, Inspired Design is far from being just another photo-rich book on interior design. Instead, it is a beautifully rich hospitality book focused as much on what visitors entering the home will feel as on what they might see. Once their collaboration on the book was finished, this mother-daughter duo knew they had found their calling. To continue the work they had begun, Roxanne and Hannah founded Inspired31.org, an organization devoted to inspiring teenage girls, mothers and others to find and follow God’s plan for their lives. Along with funding Inspired31.org, sales of the book go straight to Heart of Hope (a ministry that advocates for orphans and at-risk children in Romania) and other selected charities. The Packhams’ unified mission is to change lives one heart at a time.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Roxanne Hughes Packham is an acclaimed California-based interior designer, whose classic designs grace homes from San Diego to San Francisco. Born into a family of gifted artisans, including renowned silversmiths Allan Adler (her grandfather) and Porter Blanchard (her great-grandfather), Packham is a graduate of the University of Southern California, The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and the Paris Fashion Institute. Additionally, she studied French at the Sorbonne and French culture and literature at the Cité Universitaire in Paris. Roxanne operates her interior design business through a home studio during the hours her children are in school. She makes her home in Southern California with her husband Scott and children Justin and Hannah.

Continuing her family’s long tradition of design excellence, Hannah Packham’s interests include classical ballet, skiing and modern dance. She has participated in mission trips to Costa Rica and Romania and in 2010 was selected to participate in the Rotary Leadership Conference. Miss Packham lives at home with her family in Southern California.